


I think I've seen this film before (and I did like the ending)

by birthtwinss



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: 90s Love is a reality show, Child of Aphrodite!Mark, Director Assitant!Jeno, Friends to Lovers, Greek Mythology - Freeform, M/M, Oblivious Mark Lee (NCT)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:13:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29261019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/birthtwinss/pseuds/birthtwinss
Summary: Mark Lee did it. Once again, he's outdone himself. He delivered the perfect ending for our favorite show, making us shed some tears and shake with laughter all along.All the more, he finally got his shit together, asked Lee Jeno out, and got himself his happy ending.Can't wait to see what they bring us next,YangyangJournalist at JCC.In which humans don't know their lives are being broadcasted, Mark is the host of a popular show and Yangyang wants to cause trouble.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Nakamoto Yuta, Lee Jeno/Mark Lee, Park Jisung/Zhong Chen Le
Comments: 7
Kudos: 48
Collections: Love Dream 2020





	I think I've seen this film before (and I did like the ending)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [980517](https://archiveofourown.org/users/980517/gifts).



> Hi Dani!
> 
> So, I don't know where to start! I liked your prompts so much (your little notes were cool!) and I know you said a ~vibe~ but this really took an unexpected turn. Happy Valentine's Day!
> 
> Title from Taylor's Exile bc she made me cry with evermore
> 
> *Unbetaed, please have mercy on me

_ “No humans were harmed in any physical way during the making of this show.” _

The big bold white letters fade into a black screen and Mark steps into the studio set. He makes a quick sign, a sign that only Jeno understands and the screen goes red, the lighting projecting his shadow into it.

He glances at the control room and sees Jeno, giving him a thumbs up. Mark puts on his best smile when the lights go on and the theme song starts playing. "Hey yo, welcome back to 90’s Love." He says with a cheery voice as he walks, "I'm your host Mark Lee and today we have a lot to catch up to.”

"As we got closer to our season finale, the big question still hangs in the air. Will our dearest participants get their valentine?" Mark reaches the center of the stage. "Last week we asked our viewers to vote whether you think our leads Nakamoto Yuta and Kim Doyoung will clear things up"

"The results of the poll are as it follows." He opens a white envelope and takes out a card. " _ Yes  _ is the winner option with a majority vote by a large margin. We'll be seeing what happens, but before that let's watch a quick announcement from our sponsors!"

Shortly after the timeout is over, the big screen shows countless tiny dots, each one representing a human. From the control room, Jeno zooms in the picture until the dots turn into human faces with a name tag below each of them —five names can be read. Na Jaemin, Nakamoto Yuta, Kim Doyoung, Nakamoto Yuta, Zhong Chenle, and Park Jisung.

Nakamoto Yuta shows up on the screen. He's sitting on a small desk in a small college dorm, looking at his notes but not actually reading them. Instead, he's sneaking longing glances at his roommate, Kim Doyoung.

Doyoung is laying on his bed, headphones on and pretending to listen to music. As a matter of fact, Doyoung is thinking about the night his roommate came slightly drunk, slightly brave, and kissed him and touched him.

Neither of them says a thing. 

(Obviously, they didn’t clear things up).

A commercial break. Jeno takes a handkerchief and wipes the sweat from Mark's brow.

The next scene is two best friends, Zhong Chenle and Park Jisung, sitting on the floor playing video games. Jisung pauses the game and stands up, looking for his backpack. Once he finds it, he searches through his things until he finds a ticket.

He gives it to Chenle, telling him it's for the showcase with the dance studio he goes to.

Chenle says he wouldn't miss it for the world. 

The screen gets blurry and a pink-haired boy shows up, Na Jaemin, the lovely main star and Olympus’ sweetheart. He swallows his coffee as he listens to the guy in front of him talk endlessly about his ex. Another unsuccessful blind date. 

Mark and Jeno have thought about possible suitors for him, but none seems good enough for beloved Jaemin. The problem is until they find someone that matches his persona, they're only buying time, throwing at him some distractions. 

Jaemin's face matches the color of his hair when the guy suddenly says to go somewhere more private, pointing to the restroom. It’s not of embarrassment. 

As the credits roll up, moving particularly fast, Mark says goodbye.

***

"Isn't today your day off?" Marks frowns when he sees Jeno coming into their office.

"I'd rather stay here," Jeno leaves his coat and leaves by the door, and rolls up his sleeves. "We're a little behind schedule for the program"

90´s Love is a reality show that follows for a year the lives a group of randomly chosen humans, a different group for every season, who manifest an interest in dating —or not, some points have changed throughout the seasons— and experience the ups and downs of relationships, all of that before February 14th.

The show has been running for thirty consecutive seasons and has been an immediate hit, recording the largest television audience of its time. In the beginning, Mark had been the show's producer, director, writer, and host. However, once the show became popular, Mark found it necessary to hire an assistant, someone who could contribute to creating an even better show.

There had been a few assistants he had hired, but none of them stuck around for longer than a week. Then there was Jeno, the god had barely any relevant experience —outside a couple of CFs he filmed as a child— yet he was passionate and enthusiastic and, above all, the only one who seemed to blend well with him.

Time would prove Mark right as Jeno turned up to be an excellent production assistant and technical director. Hiring Jeno had been the best decision he ever made —along with moving away from Mount Olympus and getting his own place.

"Are you sure you don't have any plans today?" 

"I have them now."

"Well, you can check out those records." Mark points to the pile of stacked files on the desk, the turns to look at their Pairing Board, a corkboard with a bunch of pictures and relevant facts connected to each other with a red string. 

Na Jaemin's picture remains untouched on the board. He lets out a heavy sigh.

"Stop worrying." Jeno says in a calm, unhurried voice, from his seat.

"What if we don't find someone for him?" Mark asks, "What if I can't do this?"

Jeno is quick to get on his feet, walking to him, and Mark can sense the comforting words making their way through Jeno's mouth. Because that's the way he is. 

"You've been successfully running the show for nth seasons straight, right?"

"Not by myself." Mark mutters.

"Right?" Jeno insists

"Right"

""And you've got all the Olympians subscribed to your program.”

"Right."

"We'll do this." Jeno beams. "Now, what do you think if we find someone to fake date Jaemin?"

"No," Mark shakes his head, "We used that trope in our third season, remember?"

From arranged marriages and fake dating to childhood friends and being roommates, the most recent themes, the show was loaded with conventions. 

No detail is left to chance. Every trope, every possible scenario is carefully designed to ensure the participants meet someone special —someone whose record Mark and Jeno had read and concluded it matches their target— and let the sparks and electricity fly. 

They work in comfortable silence for a while longer with no result before calling it a day.

*******

Among all the children uncle Hermes has, Yangyang is the one who takes the most after his father. But not in a good way. 

Mark can use many words to describe Yangyang, most of them not so flattering, but one thing is sure. He delights in causing chaos and confusion. More than once has Mark seen the sheer wild mischief in Yangyang's face before he pulled a —seemingly harmless— prank. His cunning wit is apparent in his scheming and plotting to knock everyone off.

And while it is true that Yangyang is still a kid, barely a couple of centuries-old, his presence brings a feeling of dread. At the end of the day, he always gets his way. 

That's the reason why Mark is sitting in the living room chaise lounge, waiting for Yangyang to come. He glances at the watch on his wrist, growing impatient with every second, and sighs to no one about the Yangyang's audacity to arrive late to an interview he himself had asked.

Maybe the younger won't be able to make it thus Mark can return back to his studio and finish outlining the last few episodes. Or maybe, since it's Tuesday afternoon and Taeil must be baking pastries, Mark can take a quick trip to Taeil's place and grab a box of the donuts Jeno likes and then get down to work.

The sudden noises on the back —a door being slammed and feet dragging on the carpeted floor— tells him that he isn't that lucky. 

“Oh, here you are." Yangyang says from behind, then takes a seat on the couch in front of Mark, making himself at home. “Good. I hate waiting.” 

Mark grunts when Yangyang puts his feet up on the coffee table, right next to the flower arrangement Jeno brought for that day. Yangyang quickly removes his feet from the surface and only then Mark notices that Yangyang is dressed in a peculiar way, very uncharacteristically of him.

He is wearing a pair of striped trousers and a white linen shirt, his briefcase discarded on the floor. “So, what is this about?” Mark asks. 

"As you may know," Yangyang runs his fingers through his hair and loosens his navy tie, "I started working at Johnny's Communication Center, and I've been assigned to write an Art & Entertainment article." 

"What happened with your job at the vet clinic?" He realizes it's a dumb question for he already knows the answer.

"Yeah, that didn't work out.” He says, tossing his tie onto the sofa.

Mark nods in understanding. He was hardly surprised by that, given the fact that Yangyang changed jobs pretty often. He had tried many different career options, and all of them had ended up with him resigning. The only exception had been when he worked as Mark's assistant, but that was another whole story.

“But I'm not here to talk about that." Mark watches as Yangyang takes out a little notebook from his shirt pocket. "I want your thoughts on the current season of 90's Love. How do you like the episodes so far? Would you say this season has met the public expectations?"

Yangyang, by some grace of the gods, doesn't give Mark much trouble this time. If anything, he looks rather bored throughout the interview, doodling in his notebook while Mark talks. 

The sooner they start the sooner they will finish, Mark thinks, so he makes a quick recap of what's been going on with the current season of the show, and tells him he's grateful for the publics' reception. 

“Is it true that Aphrodite herself congratulated you?”

“Yeah.” Mark scratches the back of his neck. “Well, I actually haven’t seen her in a while, but she did send a text.”

The advent of technology and the curious inventions of humans had brought so many changes in the otherwise established routines of the gods and goddesses. For once, Hermes could take a long break as the messaging apps got popular on the Olympus. 

However, it had also meant an increase in workload for others, such as Aphrodite, who hadn't left her studio in years —since Tinder was created, tracking every user and trying to figure out the matches.

“Any plans for this February 14th?”

Mark’s reply is automatic. “For the next two weeks 90’s Love is on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights, and the final episode will be airing on the 14th.”

“And after that?” Yangyang says with a suggestive look.

“I’ll start working on the storyline for the next season and figuring out the budget.”

“On the same day?”

Mark nods. “Once Jeno returns from his vacations we shall start casting people and picking locations, so I need to get things done before that.”

“Now that you mention Jeno,” Yangyang straightens up his back and speaks in an oddly calm and honeyed voice that puts Mark on edge. “I’ve heard that you’ve gone easy on him since day 1.” 

“Where do you hear all these things from?”

“We journalists never reveal our sources.” Yangyang says solemnly.

Mark stops himself from saying that he is not, in fact, a journalist, because he knows better than to argue with Yangyang once he has settled on something, and Mark really really would like to finish the interview now.

“I treat him like everyone else.” 

“As if.” Yangyang huffs.

“I do.” Mark insists and he feels the younger’s eyes boring into him.

“You let him drop honorifics.” Yangyang crosses his arms. "He calls you by  _ your name _ ."

“There’s no need for it, in order to work well together we must stand on the same ground and trust each other."

“You never let me drop honorifics with you and I’m your cousin.” Yangyang points an accusing finger at him.

"You never use honorifics anyway." 

"Not the point." Yangyang says  bluntly, ignoring Mark’s reprimanding look . “What about that time he almost spoiled the entire plot to Winwin? You’ve fired people for less than that.”

Mark shrugs. “He didn’t spoil anything, it was hardly a sneak-peek.”

A moment later Yangyang’s eyes widen with realization and he bursts a laugh, convulsive and unrestrained, and annoying to Mark’s ears. “You actually think so!” 

Yangyang can tell by the confused look on Mark's face that he doesn't understand him. “Oh, Mark, you’re so absorbed in your job that you don’t even realize what happens around you. Now, this is a news story worth telling!” 

Mark watches as Yangyang writes down something in the little notebook. “I still don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Yangyang hums, still looking at his notes. "Aphrodite's little child is so busy mingling with everybody's love life that he's oblivious to his own." Mark feels his cheeks burning up much to Yangyang’s enjoyment if the look on his face is anything to go by. “You like, no, you  _ love _ Jeno.”

After so many years working together, it would only make sense that Mark grows attached to Jeno. Jeno is more a friend than anything else, he is Mark's confidant and the person he trusts the most, always there by his side. Of course, Mark loves him. 

But he knows that’s not what Yangyang means.

“And let me tell you something else.” Yangyang peeks over Mark’s shoulder and smiles, leaning forward as if he were confiding a vital secret. “I don't think it’s one sided.” 

Following Yangyang’s gaze, Mark turns around and shoves him away when he sees Jeno walking down the stairs, eyes fixed on them.

“Well, I think I got everything I need, This was certainly an interesting interview, I think I can get used to it.” Yangyang stands up and puts the little notebook in his briefcase. “You can thank me later.” 

Before Mark knows it, Yangyang is already on the other side of the room waving at Jeno with a shit eating grin on his face. "You should check the article on the February issue of the JCC magazine. You're going to like it."

And just like that, with another victory under his belt, Yangyang leaves the residence and a very confused Mark.

***

On nights when Mark can't sleep well, he goes downstairs, sits on the floor, and plays the blue-ray edition of any previous season of the show, in HD and with as many pixels as possible.

Tonight he's watching the special edition of the last season, which includes footage of the behind the scenes and he watches himself and Jeno running from one place to another. 

Last season the show revolved around Lee Donghyuck and Huang Renjun, two former high school rivals who met again at college, and their slow burn romance, by far the most popular ship in the show. Mark had known they were perfect for each other, both were opposite sides of the same coin, and their attraction had been obvious despite their multiple attempts to ignore it. 

Watching their bickering has a soothing effect on Mark and lulls him to sleep. That's until Jeno comes into the room. "Sorry, did I wake you up?" 

Jeno sits on the floor next to Mark and shakes his head, though he has puffy eyes. Season finales are usually more demanding, which is precisely why he often stays in the residence. 

"Brown really suits you well." 

When they had started working together, they had thought it would be interesting to change Mark's color hair for the start of a new season. Years after, Mark had managed to convince Jeno to do the same.

"You looked even better with blue hair." That much is true, Mark wonders how anyone could pay attention to him while Jeno is in the same frame. "One would think you're Aphrodite's son."

Under the dim lights, he looks sleepy and soft and all kinds of lovely, and Mark can't look away. Has he always looked like this?

Jeno lets out a pleasant laugh, moving closer and resting his head on Mark's shoulder. Mark leans in his warm presence, and only then he realizes he's feeling cold.

As he watches as Jeno's eyelashes flutter completely closed, he feels calmer, he feels content, he feels—

He feels like cursing Yangyang's firstborn.

***

Funnily enough, Mark hadn't ever considered the possibility of being in love with someone. Let alone being in love with his best friend.

He racks his brain for an answer about his feelings towards Jeno, whether it's romantic love or the caring love he feels for any of his other friends or relatives. 

The thing is, thinking about the nature of his relationship leads him to think about Jeno, his calming presence, and the way everything seems to be good, great, when he's around. 

And he thinks about the little details too, like the way he cleans the fog off his spectacles, sticking his tongue out in concentration, or the way blush dust his cheeks after he trips over something and looks around to see if anyone noticed.

His brain is starting to overload from all of the information, and it fully hits Mark that he wants to see more. He wants to see, wants Jeno to  _ show him _ all the things about him Mark hasn't seen yet.

As a child of the goddess of love, love itself is everything Mark advocates for. Long before 90’s Love was a thing, he would watch humans walk around the world, stumbling with strangers or a long lost friend. Getting to know each other and holding hands under the table. Sharing secrets and kisses under the moonlight. 

He would find so much joy in each of the raw and tender humans feelings. He would also secretly laugh reading at the stack of articles with big fancy words they wrote about the topic, proof of their nature to try to explain everything.

That's how 90’s love was ultimately created because he thought that the other people in Olympus would enjoy watching something as pure and wholesome too.

Of all people, Mark should've realized sooner that, at some point, his feelings shifted from friendship to something else, something far more. With his many years of expertise, he should've been able to tell he was falling in love with Jeno. 

  
  


***

For the next few days, Mark finds himself spacing out, even in front of the cameras, and if Jeno catches sight of it, he doesn't mention it. During the commercial break, Jeno speaks through the earpiece and tells him to come. 

Jeno is waiting for him behind the cameras, a brush in hand to touch-up Mark's makeup. Mark stifles an embarrassing squeal when Jeno gets closer and applies some gloss, sliding his thumb across Mark's bottom lip.

Mark gets to admire Jeno's sharp jawline as he stands on his tiptoes, reaching up to style Mark’s hair. Jeno is saying something about the sponsors, but Mark is far gone.

"—you know?" 

Mark nods along even though no, he doesn’t really know because he was too distracted by Jeno's touch to pay attention to whatever he was saying.

It reaches a point in which everything he cannot stop himself from noticing everything about him. And it’s getting harder.

***

At last, he goes to the only person who can help him. Half an hour and a carriage ride to the top of Mount Olympus later, he steps into his mother’s residence.

Maybe at some other time, he would have been worried about interrupting his mother, but there's only so much he can take by himself and he needs her guidance.

He goes timidly up to her office and knocks on the door. "Mom?"

There's no answer and Mark knocks louder this time. "Mom, I think I'm in love."

The door yanks open a split a second later revealing a tall woman with messy hair and black circles under her eyes, looking at him sympathetically. 

She wraps him in a hug and invites him into her office, which Mark finds out isn’t a good idea.

The place looks like it's been turned upside down, there are numerous files scattered around the floor, and a thick layer of dust has built upon the window. Mark thinks he sees something moving between the shelves.

But amidst the chaos, it's easier for Mark to put his feelings, the confusion and yearning, and the things he thought he knew. Mark talks for so long, as if he were to choke in his own words if they don’t come out, and loses track of time.

Much to his embarrassment, Mark realizes his mother isn't surprised at all. In fact, she waits and listens, a fond smile on her face, until he finishes speaking.

"So what are you going to do about it?"

***

Mark finds Jeno in the studio, standing in front of the board, pinning a picture with a thumbtack and moving the red string to connect the picture with another one.

"I've got something to tell you." Mark bites his lip

Jeno turns around and his face lights up. "Me too!"

Mark's heart does a little flip. "You go first."

"I figured it out!" He looks so incredibly excited as he speaks, waving his hands furiously. "So, I found Jaemin's perfect match." 

"We were looking in the wrong places, quite literally! But it was right in front of us! “Jeno tells him his idea while pointing at the board. Mark observes the two familiar faces pinned on the board and feels an overwhelming wave of relief, admiration, thankfulness, and love.

"God, I love you!" Mark says before he has time to think, pulling Jeno into his arms, holding him tightly. Only when he notices Jeno's stiff posture, he realizes what he just did.

His stomach drops and he panics. “—Your brain, I love your brain.” 

Jeno blinks, there's a flicker of disappointment in his eyes, and it feels  _ wrong _ because now that it's out Mark doesn't want to take it back because Jeno deserves better. He deserves the truth.

“But also you. I love you. I love you and not in a platonic way. I love you so much I wish I could make you happy, and I wish I could give you the sparks and the electricity." Mark stops pretending he doesn't notice Jeno's lips curving into a soft smile and his crinkling eyes. He stops pretending he can't imagine a future without him. And, oh, that’s so easy. “I just thought I should let you know.”

“You should’ve let me know sooner,” Jeno's eye smile is the last thing Mark sees before he pulls him down by the collar and kisses him breathless, his lips warm and inviting. 

Jeno pulls away, gasping for air. "You should've let me know sooner so I could do this."

Mark can't help the massive smile creeping into his face.

"You did it. You gave me the sparks and electricity. You gave me something to look forward to."

This time, Mark takes a big breath of air before leaning in to close the gap between their lips.

***

Jeno is full of great ideas. 

For the final episode, they bring back Donghyuck and Renjun —the first ever cameo appearance in the show— and they have them meeting Jaemin (“ Romantic relationships aren't always just between two people ,” Jeno explains).

From there, everything depends on them.

On Friday, a friend of Renjun begs him to take over his shift during the night. 

That night, Donghyuck arrives at the restaurant to keep his boyfriend company. That night, they run into Jaemin as he's storming out of the place, after another disastrous date. 

From that night, Jaemin doesn't come home alone. 

That same night Chenle comes out to his best friend. Jisung says he already knows. They’ve never felt closer. 

That same night Yuta kisses Doyoung again, no alcohol involved, and again and again until the sun blooms in the sky and they fall asleep next to each other.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Congrats if you made it until here and thank you for reading! Any and all thoughts are appreciated and welcome!
> 
> And, of course, a big shoutout to the mods.


End file.
